When Saks quarterback Sean Parnell isn't playing, he's watching and learning
Sep. 22—SAKS — Sean Parnell doesn't merely attend or watch college football games. He doesn't just watch NFL games for fun.
Saks High's senior quarterback watches to learn. He absorbs the games within games.
"He loves football," Saks coach Jonathan Miller said. "He loves going to games. He loves being around it. He loves watching film. I look at his Hudl account, and he's watched hours of film.
"He definitely has a high football IQ, and that's helped him."
Parnell's IQ, coupled with a strong throwing arm and legs for running the ball, has helped Saks, as well.
The Wildcats are 4-1 headed into Friday's home non-region game against Geraldine, marking Saks' best start since a 7-0 romp to open 2018.
One of three third-year starting quarterbacks in powerful Class 3A, Region 5, Parnell is coming off one of his best performances in a big game. He passed for 83 yards, including conversion passes to Rickey Garrett and Jalen McCants in Saks' 16-7 victory at Ohatchee on Friday.
Parnell rushed for 75 yards, including touchdown runs of 1 yard in the second quarter and 5 yards in the third.
The victory at Ohatchee put Saks in command of second place in the region. If the Wildcats finish strong, they'll play their first home playoff opener since 2017.
Saks started a seven-game winning streak this time last year, ending in the 3A quarterfinals. The Wildcats are 11-2 in their past 13 games.
That stretch marks a maturation point for several of the Wildcats' top playmakers. Many started as sophomores in 2019, when five surgical injuries forced some into early action.
Parnell was one of those players. He stepped in at quarterback when Roilan Torres suffered his second season-ending knee injury in as many years, but Parnell didn't come into it as green as one might think.
"In practice, he used to get a lot more reps than me, but I was always watching," Parnell said. "I was seeing things he did, seeing things Coach Miller told him to work on, and I'd work on them at home, just little things."
Backing things up a bit, Parnell started his football learning under his dad, Morris Young, who played running back under Jeff Smith at Ohatchee. Smith now coaches region rival Wellborn, his alma mater.
Parnell attended Ohatchee through the sixth grade, but he knew enough football to know that Ohatchee's move to a run-oriented offense didn't match up with his vision of himself as a quarterback.
At the time, Saks was a 4A program, and Parnell would have the chance to learn under eventual 4A-6A Calhoun County player of the year LaDerrick Bell then Torres.
But learning for Parnell wasn't just a Monday-Friday endeavor that stopped when practices or his games ended. He said he studies film two hours a night, before going to bed.
He watches each player on Saks' offense. He watches opponents for tendencies.
His weekends involved absorbing higher levels of football. A longtime Alabama fan, he watched the broadcast of Alabama's 31-29 victory at Florida on Saturday, picking up nuances in first-year starter Bryce Young's game.
"I've been watching him go through his progressions," Parnell said. "He's a young quarterback. Everybody says a young quarterback needs to learn by going through their progressions, so I watch him to see how he works the pocket and keeps his eyes down field and goes through his progressions."
Later Saturday, Parnell attended Jacksonville State University's 27-24 victory over North Alabama, expecting to learn what he could from JSU quarterback Zerrick Cooper.
Cooper sat out that game with a sprained MCL, suffered in Wednesday's practice, so Parnell got a look at true freshman quarterback Matthew Caldwell ... and Auburn High graduate just one year older than Parnell.
"I was trying to see how he handled the game," Parnell said. "I want to be a true freshman and play, so I was just trying to see how nervous he was, stuff like that."
The 5-foot-11, 204-pound Parnell said he's received feelers from South Alabama and JSU.
"Nothing real heavy," he said. "I've gotten some game-day invites, stuff like that. I'm going to South Alabama in October."
Don't be surprised if he winds up on a high school sideline one day, putting all that he's studied and observed to use as a coach.
"It means something to him," Miller said, "He just loves the game."
Sports Writer Joe Medley: 256-235-3576. On Twitter: @jmedley_star.
